Illustratives

These works were all painted in a 7 month period between August 1985 and March 1986. They  were not intended as a specific series, rather they were an expressive direction I found myself going as I worked through a significant time in my life. I had just returned from travels through 20 European countries, including the USSR and the former East Germany. I had felt the cold war first hand and it had moved me. I was beginning to experience personal relationships. I was also deeply effected that September by the Rugby accident that left my friend Tom Hamill in a wheelchair. At the time, these were monumental events for me. And while they would eventually prove little more than average life experiences, they brought me a new sense of maturity and responsibility. I felt that I should have something to say, some important observations to share. Visually, the result was a combining of repeatable elements and ascending colors in works that crossed over between surreal and narrative, illustrating by expression my slowly maturing  mindset. While lacking any uniform message, I feel that as a whole they do tell a story, albeit a personal one.

 

Next Category of Paintings: The Surrealist Journey